Jose Altuve not exactly 100 percent yet

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Truthfully, the second baseman, who missed his fourth straight game Thursday with hamstring strain, said he’s not 100 percent – closer to 80 – but could be by the weekend.

It could even be a little later than that, manager Brad Mills said.

“He hasn’t had a setback but I was probably too optimistic hoping for Saturday,” Mills said of Altuve, who ran Thursday. “Nothing is wrong with him. It’s just they feel that they want to make sure that he’s absolutely right so at the very earliest would probably be Sunday.”

The team may wait until Monday in Pittsburgh. Altuve said he’s doing what he can to help but knows it’s an injury he can’t rush.

“You can’t go when you’re 50 percent or 70 percent because you might go back to zero and I don’t want that happening,” he said.

Harrell starring in starts

Lucas Harrell was building toward Wednesday’s 109-pitch shutout over San Diego.

“That’s what we’re seeing right now with him,” Brad Mills said. “Especially the last couple outings have been so good and obviously (Wednesday) just being the star of them all.”

The 27 year old dropped his previous two outings but has gone longer into games, from 5.1 innings June 16 against Texas to seven last week against Cleveland to Wednesday’s complete game.

“People can tell you and give you as much confidence as they have in you, but until you can believe it yourself,” Mills said. “And you’re really not going to believe it yourself until you do it, and he was able to finish it (Wednesday).”

Mills talked more on the six-man rotation Houston has employed through the All-Star break. One being the notion that the team has confidence in Dallas Keuchel, Bud Norris, J.A. Happ, Wandy Rodriguez, Jordan Lyles and Lucas Harrell to make that decision.

It’s a short-term plan, Mills said, in helping the team navigate a stretch of 17 games in 17 days before the break.

“They want to get out there and pitch,” he said. “Just like everybody wants to play – they don’t get to play because of the six-man rotation. If that short period of time starts to stretch out a little bit, it’s probably not going to go over as well with everyone.”

Lopez on schedule

Reliever Wilton Lopez will stay on schedule as he recovers from an elbow strain, though he did raise a few eyebrows after a bullpen session Wednesday.

“Made everybody kind of ‘Hmm,’ because he felt good and threw the ball very well,” Brad Mills said.

Lopez will take a few days off then throw a bullpen in Chicago. He’ll do the same, throwing in Pittsburgh before going on his rehab assignment.
In other injury news:
–Infielder Marwin Gonzalez (bruised heel) started his rehab assignment Thursday for Class AAA Oklahoma City.